wardwell



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. W. WARDWELL, Jr.

THREAD CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES.

No. 371,648. Patented Oct. 18,1887.

N. PErEns, Pholbfiihngwher, Wash ngton, D. c.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

S, W. WARDWELL'JT. THREAD CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES.

N0. 371,648. Patented Oct. 18, 1887.

N PETERS. Fholo-Lllhugmphcn Washington. DJ;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIMON W. \VARDWELL, JR, OF WOONSOOKET, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THEWARDWELL SEWING MACHINE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

THREAD-CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 371,648, dated October18, 1887.

Application filed July 12, I886. Renewed September .20, 1887. Serial No.250,957. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, SIMON W. WARDWELL, Jr., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Woonsocket,Providencecounty,RhodeIs1and,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Thread-DrawingDevices for Sewing- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of the combination, with a sewing-machine, of adevice for positively seizing, gripping, and feeding forward the thread,and in the combination of such a device with the wax-pot and stripperand with the gripper of a waX-thread sewing-machine, as fully set forthhereinafter, so as to relieve the other parts of the machine from theirregular strains resulting in drawing the thread from the wax-pot orbobbin to secure a uniform placing of the lock and a more even andregular stitch than would otherwise result.

My invention further consists in the particular construction of thethread-feeding device.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, in part section,of-a\Vardwell waxthread sewing-machine,showing myimprovement in connectiontherewith. Fig. 2 is a part plan of the devices shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3is a see tional view illustrating a modified form of feed device. Fig. 4is a rear view of the feed device illustrated in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is anenlarged sectional plan on the line 1 2, Fig. 3.

In the lock-stitch sewing-machine, and especially in wax-threadsewing-machines of that class, it is of the first importance that thelock be drawn uniformly to the middle or to any given distance uniformlyfrom the under or upper surface of the material sewed.

The irregular resistance incidental to the process of waxing andstripping the thread in its course from the ball through the wax-pot tothe sewing mechanism causes variations in the stitch of the threadduring the distention of the loop for the passage of the shuttle,resulting in a corresponding variation in the position of the lock,commonly to the extent of exposing it on either of the two surfaces orboth, alternately, of the material sewed.

To obviate this irregular resistance to the sewing mechanism is theprimary object, and to relieve the thread-abrasive effect of this strainon the neck of the looping-hook at the paying-out point a secondaryobject of my invention. To effect this result I feed the thread forwardby a positively-operating feed device, which, when the wax-pot is used,draws the thread from the latter, so as to slacken the thread betweenthe wax-pot and the friction and tension device of the machine, and,when desired, I construct the said thread-feed device so as to operateupon and draw forward the thread only as long as the thread is taut,

or nearly so, the slackening of the thread resulting in throwing it outof action with the feed device, and when a machine provided with agripper is used the thread-feed is so arranged 6 as to feed the threadwhen the gripper is loose,

a result which is not possible in connection with devices heretoforeemployed for drawing the thread from the wax-pot.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I have illustrated my invention in connection with aWVardwell waxthread sewing-machine, in which A is the bed;

B, the overhanging arm; 0, the gripper; D, the positively-operatedtakeup, and E the wax-pot provided with the usual stripper, F, thethread a: passing from the stripper to the gripper, then to the take-up,and thence to the needle. G is the upper shaft of the machine.

The thread-feeding device H (shown in Figs.

1 and 2) consists of two feed-rolls, between the 8 contiguous edges ofwhich the thread is guided by means of guides 3 3, and one or both ofthe said rolls is or are provided with biting proj ections 4 4,projecting beyond the peripheryof the rolls in line with the saidguides, so that as $5 the rolls revolve in the direction of their arrow,Fig. 2, the thread will. be left loose and free to move, regardless ofthe feed device, until it is pinched between the projections 4 4, whenit will be carried positively forward to 0 an extent depending upon thelength of the said projection.

It will be obvious that one roll may be plain, and that the other may beprovided with a projection for operating, with like effect.

So long as the thread remains taut, or nearly so, it will be fed forwardat each revolution of the rolls; or when either roll is provided withtwo or more projections 4 the thread is fed forward two or more timesduring the revolu- 100 tion of the rolls; but should the feed devicedraw from the bobbin or wax-pot more thread than is required to supplythe stitches the thread will become so slack between its guides orbearings that it will fall below'the vertical biting-faces ofthe roll,as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1, when the feed device will cease tohave any action in feeding the thread. As soon as the thread becomestaut, or nearly so, it will again be brought into operative position inrespect to the feed device.

When a gripper is used, the feed device is so timed as to draw thethread from the pot or bobbin during the time that thethread is.

ungripped, which may be readily effected, owing to the positive andindependent action of the feed device, which operates without thenecessity of holding the forward end of the thread fixedly, as indevices heretofore used.

The feed device my be driven from any operating portion of the machine.For instance, when feed-rollers are used each roller may be at the upperend of a vertical shaft, 5, carrying at the lower end a toothed wheel,6, gearing with a similar Wheel upon the other shaft 5; and with one ofthe wheels 6, or with a supplemental toothed wheel, 7, upon one of theshafts, gears awheel or pinion, 8, upon a shaft, 9, carrying abevel-gear, 10, that gears with a bevel-wheel, 11, upon the upper shaft,G, of the machine.

The feed device, consisting of revolving wheels, may be replaced by onein which the thread is seized between reciprocating jaws, so constructedthat when the thread is slack it will fall below or free from thegripping-faces of said jaws. Such an arrangement is shown in Figs. 3, 4,and 5, in which 12 13 are two jaws hung between their ends toa pivot,14,and supported by a transverse pin, 15, having its bearings in abracket, 16, projecting from the frame of the machine,and perforated forthe passage of the thread ac, so as to constitute a guide for thelatterand conduct it, when taut, or nearly so, between the verticalpinching-faces 4 4 of the jaws.

The lower end of thejaws 12 13 have inside beveled faces, 22 22, betweenwhich may be brought a wedge-shaped projection, 23, upon a slide, 24,provided with a lug'fitting a camgroove, 26, in a cam, 27, upon theuppershaft, G, the groove being ofsuch form as to impart a reciprocatinglongitudinal movement to the slide 24. The slide 24 is provided at itsend with a lug, 25, which strikes the lower ends of the jaws and carriesthem backward past the stationary thread when the slide moves in thedirection of its arrow, Fig. 3. When the slide moves in the oppositedirection, the wedge 23 is forced between and separates the lower endsof the jaws. thus bringing their. upper ends together upon the cord,which is then carried forward as the jaws swing upon their pivot 15under the continued backward movement of the slide. A spring, 30, may beplaced between the upper ends of the jaws to insure their separationwhen'the wedge is withdrawn on the forward movement of the slide.

It will be obvious that other forms of threadthe thread and equalize thestretching of the,

same and insure regularity in the stitching. Such a positive feedingdevice will always keep sufficient slack thread in reserve for thelongest stitch in.the thickest material, pro; vided it is proportionedto draw the maximum quantity of thread required at one movement,

and when there is more thread than is needed the slackening of thethread causes it to fall below the pinching-surfaces, and will prevent afurther quantity from being drawn from the pot or bobbin untilsufficient has been used to bring it again into operative positionbetween the pinching-surfaces, or, in other words, in operative relationto the feed. Without limiting myself to the'precise construction andarrangement of parts shown, :I claim- 1. The combination, with theneedle and thread-holder of a sewing-machine, of a feed device providedwith surfaces between which the thread is positively gripped atintervals and then released, and mechanism for imparting an onwardmovement to said device while gripping the th'read,substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination, with a sewingmachine, of a thread-feed deviceprovided with travelinggripping-surfaces for positively seizing anddrawing :forward the thread, and means, substantially as described, forintermittently releasing the thread from the gripping action,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a sewing-machine provided with a gripper, of athreadfeed and gripping device, actuating mechanism moving thegripping-surfaces intermittentlyin contact with the thread, andconnections whereby the feed device is brought into operation to drawthe thread positively when the gripper is loose, substantially as setforth.

4. The combination, with thread-guides, of

a positive thread gripping, drawing, and releasing device, arranged withthe grippingsurfaces in line with the said-guides and above the positionoccupied by the thread when slack, substantially as and for'the purposeset forth.

5. The combination, with thread guides, of a positively-travelingthread-feeder having vertical faces in line with said thread-guides andabove the line of thread hanging loosely between saidguides.substantially as described.

6. The combination, with a sewing-machine provided with a wax-pot andstripper, and with guides for conducting the thread from the strippertoward the needle end of the ma chine, of traveling thread -grippers inline with said guides to seize and feed the thread positively andintermittently when said thread is taut, substantially as set forth.

7. The combinati0n,with asewing-machine, of a thread-feeding device,consisting of feedrolls provided with gripping projections between whichthe thread is intermittently 5 gripped and drawn forward, substantiallyas set forth.

8. The combination, with a sewing-machine provided with a wax-pot andstripper, of a pair of feed-rolls having limited vertical grip- IC pingprojections, and guides in line with said projections, substantially asset forth.

9. The combination, with the wax-pot and stripper of a sewingmachine, oftraveling positive gripping and releasing devices for r 5 positivelyseizing and drawing forward the thread through the stripper and thenreleasing it, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination, with a sewing-machine, of a thread-gripper andtake-up,a wax- 20 pot and stripper, and a thread-feeding device providedwith traveling faces between which the thread is intermittently grippedand carried from the pot toward the needle, substantially as set forth.

11. The combination, with the wax-pot and 2 5 stripper of asewing-machine, of a pair of feedrolls arranged in line withthread-guides and with gripping projections, shafts geared to gether andoarryingthe said rolls, and a driving-shaft geared with one of saidroll-shafts, 0 substantially as set forth.

12. The combination, in a thrcad-feed device for sewing-machines, ofrevolving shafts 5 5, carrying feed-rolls 1 2, provided with verticalgrippingfaces, and thread-guides 3 3 in 5 line with the gripping-faces,to conduct the thread, when taut, between the said faces, substantiallyas set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specificationin thepresence of two sub- 0 scribing witnesses.

SIMON W. WARDVVELL, JR.

Witnesses:

JEFFERSON ALDRICH, R. W. SHERMAN.

